Genetic adaptation in underrepresented populations: the cases of Peruvian and North African populations
Year: 2023
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: As a result of local selective pressures, genetic adaptation leaves distinct recognisable marks in the genomes of human populations. Several cases of positive natural selection have been described in humans, but only in a narrow set of populations. In this thesis, we search for signatures of positive selection in two largely understudied populations. Specifically, we analyse the genomes of native populations from three differentiated ecological regions of Perú (the Andes, the desert Pacific coast, and the Amazon rainforest), identifying private selective sweeps in each ecoregion, but also common ones, as well as some candidate genes that are correlated with environmental variables. We also interrogated the genomes of North African individuals, finding candidate genes for selection that are exclusive to North Africans, and others that are shared with European and West and East African neighbouring populations. Moreover, we detected post-admixture selection in Western North Africans facilitated by a European-like ancestry component.
Author: Caro Consuegra, Rocío
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7028871214